Protection facts
What does getting sick cost, and how fast is it rising?
Real figures on Hong Kong medical costs and policy changes. Every number comes with its source and date, and is updated regularly.
Note: This page is for general education only. It is not insurance or medical advice and does not recommend any insurance product. Actual medical costs vary by person, hospital and condition.
Medical inflation: how much do costs rise each year?
Aon: Hong Kong medical cost trend (2027 forecast)9%
Source: Aon 2027 Global Medical Trend Rates Report press release (2026-10-12) | Data as of: Oct 2026 (re-checked 2026-10-19)
Aon: Hong Kong medical cost trend (2026 forecast)9.0%
Source: Aon 2026 Global Medical Trend Rates Report (Oct 2025) | Data as of: Oct 2025 (re-checked 2026-10-19; Aon's 2027 report also lists 9% for 2026)
WTW: Hong Kong medical cost increase (2026 forecast)9.9%
Source: WTW Global Medical Trends Survey press release (Nov 2025) | Data as of: Nov 2025 (re-checked 2026-10-19; no 2027 WTW edition seen yet)
“Medical cost trend” is a consultancy's forecast of the rise in the per-person cost of employer medical plans. It is not the same as an individual's premium increase or general inflation (CPI). Studies use different methods and samples, so the figures can't be compared directly.
What will today's medical bill cost in the future?
Method: cost today × (1 + medical inflation)^years. A projection from an assumed rate, not a forecast.
Public hospital fees (from 1 January 2026)
The first phase of the public healthcare fees reform took effect on 1 January 2026. These are the fees for Eligible Persons.
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Accident & Emergency (per attendance) | $400 | Waived for triage category I (critical) and II (emergency) |
| Acute bed (per day) | $300 | Admission fee abolished |
| Convalescent / rehabilitation, infirmary and psychiatric bed (per day) | $200 | |
| Day procedures and treatment (per day) | $250 | Admission fee abolished |
| Specialist outpatient (per attendance) | $250 | Drugs $20 per item, up to 4 weeks per item |
| General / family medicine outpatient (per attendance) | $150 | Drugs $5 per item, up to 4 weeks per item |
| Non-urgent imaging: ultrasound, mammogram | $250 | |
| Non-urgent imaging: CT and MRI scans | $500 | |
| Annual cap on medical charges | $10,000 | No means test; amounts above the cap can be waived on application |
Source: Government briefing (2025-03-25), HK01 summary, and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, paragraph 303 | Data as of: In effect from 2026-01-01 (re-checked 2026-10-19; no fee changes seen)
Private hospitals: the same operation can cost very different amounts
Private hospitals publish “historical bill statistics” for common procedures. The 50th percentile (P50) means half of patients paid a total bill below this amount; the 90th percentile (P90) means nine in ten paid less.
Inpatient haemorrhoidectomy: P50 total bill at different private hospitals$33,881 – $85,387152% gap between the highest and lowest
Source: Consumer Council study on private healthcare services (2025-03-06), as reported by HK01 | Data as of: Mar 2025 (re-checked 2026-10-19; no newer figures seen)
Tip: before admission you can ask the hospital for a written fee estimate, and compare the “historical bill statistics” on hospital websites.
Cancer: about 104 people diagnosed every day in Hong Kong
New cancer cases in Hong Kong, 202337,953 casesUp 7.3% on 2022, about 104 a day
Cancer deaths, 202314,867 peopleAbout a quarter of all deaths in Hong Kong
Most common cancer: lung6,111 casesFollowed by breast (5,603) and colorectal (5,467)
Deadliest cancer: lung3,880 deathsFollowed by colorectal (2,266) and liver (1,408)
Source: Department of Health, Centre for Cancer Information: Overview of Hong Kong cancer statistics (2023 data, the latest published year) | Data as of: 2023 data (confirmed as the latest on 2026-10-19)
Government healthcare policy: what's new?
2026-10-23
Community Pharmacy Programme patient pairing starts; Primary Healthcare Co-care Network co-payment adjustments
- The Community Pharmacy Programme (Community) starts a pilot of patient pairing at the end of October in four districts (Eastern, Yau Tsim Mong, Sha Tin and Yuen Long), with 5 designated community pharmacies in each, 20 in total; it is to extend to all 18 districts in the fourth quarter of next year
- Annual adjustments to Primary Healthcare Co-care Network treatment-phase consultation co-payments take effect on November 1: of 1,239 service points, 1,022 (82.5%) keep their fees unchanged, 28 reduce them and 189 increase them, with an overall increase of 3.7%
- Screening-phase co-payment caps: not more than $120 for cardiovascular disease risk factor screening and not more than $180 for chronic hepatitis B screening
2026-09-16
2026 Policy Address: public healthcare
- Annual medical charges capped at $10,000 with no means test; people receiving full medical fee waivers to rise from under 14,000 a year to over 250,000
- 16 drugs added to the Hospital Authority Drug Formulary; 53 drugs and self-financed medical devices added to the Samaritan Fund
- The Hospital Authority aims to halve waiting times for stable new cases in designated specialties within five years, starting with a 10% cut in 2027-28
- A community pharmacy programme to launch by year-end, first covering Eastern, Yau Tsim Mong, Yuen Long and Sha Tin
2026-09-16
Price transparency in private healthcare
- The Government plans to submit regulations to the Legislative Council by the end of 2026 requiring private healthcare facilities to improve price transparency, and is preparing draft codes of practice on price information, fee budgets and fee statistics
Earlier policy updates (1)
These are older policy updates; some details may have changed since. The latest announcements prevail.
2026-01-01
First phase of the public healthcare fees reform takes effect
- A&E $400 (critical and emergency cases waived), specialist outpatient $250, general outpatient $150; annual cap of $10,000
Source: Government briefing
This section last reviewed: 2026-11-01 (updated on the 1st of each month)
Four types of basic protection, and what each one covers
MedicalCovers: Bills for hospital stays, operations and tests
Usually reimburses actual costs (up to limits).
Usually reimburses actual costs (up to limits).
Critical illnessCovers: Lost income and recovery costs after a serious illness is diagnosed
Usually pays a lump sum on diagnosis, to use as you choose.
Usually pays a lump sum on diagnosis, to use as you choose.
AccidentCovers: Medical costs and disability from accidental injury
Covers accidents only, not illness.
Covers accidents only, not illness.
LifeCovers: Living costs and debts for your family if you die
Especially important if others depend on your income.
Especially important if others depend on your income.
- Employer medical cover is useful, but it ends when you change jobs, lose your job or retire, and it may have benefit limits.
- The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) is a government framework of standards for individual medical insurance. Qualifying premiums can be claimed as a tax deduction, capped at $8,000 per insured person per year (Inland Revenue Department, 2025/26 year of assessment). Note: the $8,000 is deducted from your taxable income; it is not $8,000 less tax. What you actually save depends on your tax rate. At a 17% marginal rate, the most you save is $1,360.
- More cover isn't always better. Start with what you already have, what's missing and what you can afford.
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